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Speaker best practices

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Praveen (Gnovi) edited this page Mar 10, 2024 · 24 revisions

Summary

  • Make the title informative and persuasive
  • Add sufficient detail to the description
  • Add a two-minute video
  • Add slides if present
  • Keep the code of conduct in mind
  • Don't let the talk look promotional
  • Don't bother about the voting system

Where to submit your proposal

Read the call for proposals editorial for more information on writing proposals. Next, start drafting your proposal in the New Proposal page after signing up for an account.

The Title

  • The title will be the one-line elevator pitch for your talk. This will be your first impression of the selection committee and the audience.
  • Your title will be listed with hundreds of proposals from various speakers; when the selection committee goes through them, even though selection doesn't solely depend on the talk title; remember, the first impression is the best.
  • Your title will also be listed along with all the talks on the conference day for the audience to go through. They are going to decide which track to attend based on your title.

The talk title can be straightforward/precise, or descriptive. Examples -

  • "Meta classes: a deep dive" - straightforward
  • "Lessons learnt while scaling Django + Postgresql infrastructure" - descriptive

The Description

  • Could you keep your description elaborate? It should state the problem, how you are trying to solve it, and the takeaway for the audience.
  • To remind you, the description is where you can convince the selection team that you know what you are discussing.
  • To improve it, add an outline section at the end of the description. The outline should list the topics you cover in the talk, and roughly how long you will take to deliver them.

Making it even better

  • The more details you add to your proposal, you will bring more clarity to the selection committee. If you have your slides ready, don't hesitate to attach them to the proposal. It need not be complete; a skeleton/outline would also do.
  • Use the speaker bio section to sell yourself. Could you show your previous work and explain why you are the right person to give this talk? But it's completely okay if you have yet to gain previous speaking experience.
  • Please take a casual 2-minute video and link it to the proposal. This will showcase your presentation style and increase the chances of your proposal's selection.
  • You can check out a sample proposal outline here.
  • Your proposal should stand out. Be creative and original in your approach to the topic. Offer fresh insights, new perspectives, or innovative solutions. Refrain from repeating what others have said before. Plagiarism is strictly not allowed.
  • When crafting your proposal, remember the audience. Consider their level of expertise, interests, and needs. Ensure your proposal is accessible and engaging for a diverse audience, including beginners, intermediate, and advanced Python developers.
  • Your proposal should show your expertise in the topic. Provide evidence of your experience, achievements, or contributions to the Python community. Mention any relevant publications, talks, or projects you have worked on.
  • Before submitting your proposal, proofread it for spelling, grammar, and clarity. Ask a friend or colleague to review it for you. Make sure your proposal is well-written and error-free.

Promotional content

  • The talk content should not look promotional. Could you make it more generic to discuss a commercialized project (including an open-sourced one)?
  • Cover the alternatives and the flip sides. Make the language neutral and objective.
  • For example, instead of - 'Simplified infrastructure using AWS Lambda', try something like 'Simplified Infrastructure using function as a service, a comparative study across AWS, Azure, and GCP.'

If you need to promote something, please don't hesitate to contact the sponsorship team.

The voting system

  • The CFP software (Junction) has a voting feature on the UI that allows anyone to vote on any proposals.
  • However, the votes are not used as a criterion for selection. The selection team uses an entirely separate system to review the talks.

Previous editions proposals

  • If you want to take a look into the previous editions' proposals, you can check those out on the following links:

Talk Proposals

Workshop Proposals

Have any more questions? We are here to help!

Feel free to ping us on:

Pycon India 2024

PyCon_2024

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